


Not Lonely, Just Alone

by AsTheRomansDo



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Coffee Shops, Confused Steve Rogers, Friendship, Loss of Parent(s), M/M, Mental Health Issues, Natasha Romanov Is a Good Bro, Past Relationship(s), Pepper Potts & Tony Stark Friendship, Press and Tabloids, Rehabilitation, Songfic, Talking, Therapist Bruce Banner, Tony Stark Had Issues, Tony Stark Has Issues, Tony Stark-centric
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-23
Updated: 2020-06-04
Packaged: 2020-09-24 13:04:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 5,303
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20358967
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AsTheRomansDo/pseuds/AsTheRomansDo
Summary: A lot can happen in six months: A person can change for the better or choose to linger on memories of the past.





	1. Catching Up

**Author's Note:**

> This one-shot is based on Chloe Gilligan's Not Lonely, Just Alone which you can listen to here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggPB-CG1R7M and as such it is set in a universe without The Avengers. Steve and Bucky still have their post serum bodies though, if not toned down versions. Jarvis is human, Pepper and Steve are siblings and Tony is less damaged than he is canonically.

With the brisk wind picking up and the sky taking on a gray cast there could not possibly be a better day to drink obscenely strong coffee. “If you are so desperate for a caffeine kick you could’ve had tea this morning you know.” Tony turned his attention away from the sky wide eyed at his companion’s comment. “Did I say that out loud?” Jarvis chuckled placing a hand on his shoulder in a comforting gesture. “It’s not bad to speak your mind, Stark. I know it’s difficult to do consciously but progress is progress.”

Tony couldn’t help but smile at that. Leave it to Jarvis to know what to say and to say it so adequately. “I’m glad to have you around you know. I should be going though.” In understanding Jarvis removed his hand and gave the other man a brief salute before heading in the opposite direction.

Taking one more look at the overcast sky Tony adjusted his coat collar to cover his ears and continued across the street toward a familiar building. He did not need to be a Stark to be known here, not with it being the only place to buy a fresh brew with a kick worthy of his constant all-night sessions in the workshop. In addition to feeding into his habit it was a safe space where he didn’t have to worry about paparazzi taking his picture or being bombarded by people wondering where he had been. He needed this place as much as he needed his friends at home.

“Tony?” The tension in his body at the sound of that voice could really only mean one thing. He stepped back to face the small booth he had just passed to get into the queue and smiled sheepishly at the blonde who had called his name. “Hey, Big Man…Long time no see.”

Steve took a moment to process what Tony had just called him and found himself blushing in embarrassment for staring longer than he should have been. “Sorry. Hi. Wow. Definitely wasn’t expecting to see you here.” He looked up again questioningly this time. “Do you want to sit?”

Tony’s lips twitched with the suppression of a smile at Steve’s awkwardness. “Sure.” Nervous laughter eased the tension after a short moment of silence. “You look good, Steve. How’s Pepper doing? I heard she’s coming back home soon.”

“Yeah, come June she’ll stay with me and Buck until she finds her own space.” Tony tensed again as Steve was temporarily silenced by his own slip up. “She asked about you the last time she called actually.”

“My number hasn’t changed. Tell her to give me a call. I miss her.” He was expecting the look that followed. That look of shock people who knew him before gave him when he expressed his feelings. It still made him uncomfortable though. “Listen, I know it’s only been a few minutes but I should go.”

“Right, of course.” Steve stood up and made to hug him but was cut off by a sharp “Don’t.” Tony winced at his own abruptness. “Sorry.” Steve nodded taking his offered hand to shake and brushing off the hint of rejection he had felt. “It was nice seeing you again, Tony.”


	2. Progress is Progress

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reconnecting with people seems to be getting easier.

“You actually stayed the entire time?” Tony rolled his eyes. “Jarvis, it was maybe ten minutes of small talk. Less even. Nothing serious.” Jarvis sighed.

“Tony, ten minutes is serious. Especially if you stayed calm and clear headed the whole time. What did you do?” What had he done? He tried to remember. “Breathing. I starting to count when I noticed my heart rate spiking. I still felt like throwing up but like you said – progress is progress.” This earned him a smile.

“I’m proud of you. I can tell it’s getting a little easier and Dr. Banner will only confirm it for you when you go to your next session.” There was no helping the warmth spreading in Tony’s chest at the compliment but there was no time to dwell on it once his phone starting to ring.

He didn’t recognize the number but his security system made it hard to imagine he didn’t know the person on the other side of the line. “Stark on the line.” A familiar laugh followed.

“Is that really how you answer the phone now?” He laughed. “It’s nice to hear your voice too, Pep. I’m guessing Steve gave you my number?” Jarvis looked up from his own tablet in interest.

He was familiar with Pepper and knew Tony loved her to pieces. “Yes, though he wasn’t extremely forthcoming on the circumstances in which that message was received.” Tony cleared his through. There was no hiding anything from the younger Rogers sibling, not after years of knowing each other.

“I ran into him today.” He could barely make out the sharp intake of breath on the other end. “I am okay, Pep. Nothing bad happened. A hello and a goodbye. He mentioned you were coming back in June to stay with him and Bucky.” She scoffed.

“He seriously mentioned James? He can be so clueless sometimes.” He wanted to agree out loud but decided not to. The past was past, it did not have to affect his future. “It’s not my problem anymore really. Listen, Pep, the real reason I wanted you to call – as much as I love chatting with you - was because I wanted to offer you a job at Stark Industries as my personal assistant.”

He waited for her to say something. Anything. “Pep?” “You’re joking.” He frowned. “Pep, you’re outstanding. I have no reason to joke about this. Whenever you’re ready, say yes and I’ll hold the position until you get here.” She laughed causing Tony to relax. “Don’t act like you didn’t open position especially for me. Of course I’m saying yes!” He fought the urge to fist pump the air settling with a high five from Jarvis who was still listening to the conversation.

“Then I’ll see you in June?” He felt his phone vibrate against his ear. “Much earlier than that. I just sent you my flight information. I expect you to pick me up at the airport yourself, Tony. I know Jarvis is listening so if you aren’t there you’ll both get a beating.”

Leave it to Pepper Rogers to already have a plan in place. “Yes, Ma’am. I’ll be there.” He hung up the phone and joined Jarvis on the couch.

“You missed her.” He glanced in his direction. “You didn’t?” Jarvis pressed himself into the cushions and stretched his legs out onto the coffee table taking his time to formulate a response. “I think it’s a good step. You’ll have to tell her everything. If she’s going to be Tony Stark’s personal assistant she needs to know that you aren’t the man who dated her brother anymore.”

Tony understood what his friend was saying. It was the right thing to do but he didn’t have to work himself up over it this second. “One day at a time, Jarvis. We’ll get there.”


	3. Open Ended Silence

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things get a little serious and a tad emotional.

He was never going to get used to the tightness of this office. He’d always imagined a well known doctor with Dr. Banner’s resume to be set up in an all glass office building in the middle of New York’s skyline. Yet here he was in an 11 x 16 room in the back of his Manhattan town home.

“You’re over thinking.” Tony snapped out of his reverie. “I’m always over thinking, Doc.” Dr. Banner offered him a small smile and adjusted himself to better balance the legal pad on his leg.

“Anything in particular driving your mind to push itself today?” Tony sighed. “I could lie.” The other man nodded knowing that whatever was said next would be nothing short of the truth.

“I ran into Steve a few days ago. He mentioned someone. And I invited Pepper to come work for me.” The scratch of pen on paper filled the silence for a few seconds as notes were quickly jotted down. “You seem to be handling the interaction well. Is there anything specific you’d like to go over? Jarvis mentioned you were able to successfully use the exercises we went over last month.”

Tony leaned back into the chair he was seated in. Of course Jarvis had updated Banner. There was never any way around that.

“Yes. They were helpful.” He turned his head slightly at the sound of a chuckle. “Whether you think they were or not, you made contact and didn’t even once think about drinking or putting on the persona you used to hide behind, correct?” He closed his eyes and nodded. A weak attempt to hide the shame he felt for having turned to those things in the past at all.

“Tony, given all that you have been through, what do you think it means that hiding is no longer your first instinct?”

That was the question.

Tony felt tears threatening to spill but cleared his throat and shifted again. “I miss her.” He couldn’t look at Dr. Banner. They both knew that, even though to anyone else it sounded like he was avoiding the question, he was about to make a breakthrough.

“I know that the old man had his own way of showing he loved me but it never really worked for me…mom…she always knew. Pepper and Jarvis knew and they still know…I can’t hide when I’m with them and I think accepting that has made it easy to forget trying at all.”

Both doctor and patient lived in this moment for a while before heading their separate ways. This entire experience had never been Tony’s idea to begin with but he was enjoying it to some degree. Dr. Banner wouldn’t hesitate to say he didn’t mind the billionaire all that much either.

They had established early on in their sessions that what worked best to get Tony to talk – about anything – was silence. So that’s exactly what was promised. Anything to see him through.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's short...and not super in depth...and it also sounds different than the other chapters buuuuttt I like it sooooooo......😬


	4. Fresh Start

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There's a sweet sense of nostalgia now that there's someone other than Jarvis to help him feel at home.

Tony could have sent someone to pick Pepper up. Despite her threat of retaliation, Jarvis could have come in his place and gave his usual excuses. The only problem was that he no longer had any usual excuses.

Without drinking, without the paparazzi gaining opportunities to catch him doing something stupid and without the nagging voice in his head constantly pushing him to believe he is far from doing his parents proud…he was out of excuses. This was the road to recovery. This was driving in New York traffic to pick up one of your closest friends.

“F.R.I.D.A.Y, dial Pepper.”

“Calling to cancel our date?” The sound of her chipper voice immediately lifted him from his earlier musings. “I _was_ calling to ask if you were still a size 11 because I had a sneak peak at Christian’s new collection and thought you might want to pick out a welcome home gift.”

He could practically feel Pepper’s excitement vibrating through the car’s speakers. “Tony, I swear. If you waited until now to tell me I’m getting a newly stocked closet I am going to have a lot of explaining to do when I bring my things over to Steve’s.” He laughed, still noticing that the name no longer affected him as much as it used to.

“Only if you ask for it.” He would give her the world if she asked for it. Jarvis too. They deserved it for sticking by his side for as long as they had.

It was nice to think about them instead of everything else the world had to offer. Enough to distract him from the things that could make his anxiety go up. Like a certain someone knocking on the window pane while he was clearly distracted.

“You know, when you didn’t say anything after I asked for a penthouse sweet on the strip I thought I had found your limit. Now I see that you were just stuck in that brilliant head of yours.” She hadn’t change a bit. Looking up at her through the rolled down driver’s side window he could remember exactly why he had thought she was the most beautiful creature on the planet all those years ago.

“Pepper, the day you ask for too much will be the day I die.” Her expression softens at his comment. It says a lot that he can mention his death so casually, at all even.

The drive is uneventful. It’s comfortable having someone who knows him so well in the passenger seat. It’s even better that it’s Pepper and she’s got so much to say about everything that happened during their time apart that it’s like she never left the city by the time they make it back to the tower.

Jarvis is waiting to help with her bags when he pulls into his recently deserted garage. Pepper quirks an eyebrow earning an almost imperceptible shake of the taller man's head and the subject of Tony’s old car collection is never brought up.

He almost mentions totaling a third of it just to thank them for their respect. They’ll talk later though. Just like the good old days.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Grad school has slowly ebbed away at my inspiration and it's only been two weeks. What a drag.


	5. Casual Friday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You don't have to spend every second of the day together to know your friends have your back.

He’s gone off to tinker in the workshop while Pepper unpacks for the night and Jarvis does whatever Jarvis tends to do during times like these. He’s never asked, maybe he should. It’s closer to midnight when he finally decides to join them for the evening but catches them in the middle of a conversation.

All he needs to do is announce his presence, it wouldn’t be hard. Yet, something in the tone of Pepper’s voice as she takes the offered drink in Jarvis’ hand makes him pause. “I wanted to thank you. He’s clearly doing a lot better.” The fabric of the sofa cover rustles as the other man gets situated.

“I’m only doing my job.” The blonde smiles over her glass at the response. “You care too much for it to be just a job anymore, Jarvis.” He just shakes his head. It would be too much to admit any sentiment out loud.

“Your brother really did a number on him, Virginia.” The atmosphere in the room is a bit tense but that never stopped either of them from speaking their mind. “Oh believe me. I’ve given him a piece of my mind more than once since then.” Case in point.

If he were in the room Tony would point out that she’s holding back. A very specific glint in her eye giving it away. “He still asks about him, doesn’t he.” Even Jarvis knows her tells it seems.

She nods knowing that denying it wouldn’t make a difference. As far as she’s concerned, Tony isn’t a few feet away. “I will never understand that about men. No offense.” Jarvis laughs, they’re both completely at ease now.

“None taken. I believe we owe it to human nature. He might have everything he ever wanted in his relationship with James but now, he doesn’t have Tony.” There’s enough silence in the time that passes after that Tony starts to wonder if it’s time he step in.

“You think he wants a second chance.” Apparently not. “I know he wants the comfort of always having someone in his corner no matter what.” That information he has to process. It’s new, hearing his relationship with Steve put in those words.

He’s brought out of his thoughts by Pepper’s content sigh. “Tony finally made it back into his own corner and it doesn’t look like he’ll be leaving any time soon.” Her smile is contagious even from across the room. “That’s something worth drinking to.”

Stepping in as their glasses clink together he knows he doesn’t need anyone else in his life but the people in this room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for the length but I would really rather just give you what you need for the story to make sense instead of details that mean nothing to me or the characters.
> 
> If you have any questions or comment, let me know!


	6. Bittersweet Nostalgia

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's too easy to fall into the familiarity of a situation.

There was absolutely nothing like having someone care enough to tighten the scarf around your neck and make sure all the buttons on your wool pea-coat are done up. Pepper made him feel like a child in the best of ways. “Are you sure you’ll be alright on your own?”  
He nodded, “Pep, it’s okay. You assist. That does not mean you are required to babysit me. Besides, what if I want to surprise you with my final purchases?” She stops fussing with his outer layer of clothing and looks into his eyes.  
“Just be smart about it, Tony.” He grins. She must have decided he was serious enough to not argue about unneeded expenses. “Roger, Rogers.” She smiled in return before gently nudging him out the door.  
Today In Memory of What I Cannot Say was the main exhibit an up and coming art gallery Tony had been thinking of investing in for quite some time. They always chose to preview works with a story behind them, things with feeling. The Art of Guy de Montlaur would definitely fit that description.  
The thought of seeing Steve hadn’t even crossed his mind. Of course he should have known he would run into him here but, at the same time, what were the odds that they would find themselves in the same New York gallery on the same night.  
“We have got to stop meeting like this.” The blonde’s smile was just as blinding as he remembered. Possibly even more so.  
“We really should.” He hoped that didn’t come across too blunt. He was still working on voicing his thoughts anyway. Steve just kept smiling.  
“I say we make the most of it! Would you care for a guided tour? One of my friends from school helped put all of this together so I’ve become pretty well versed.” Tony had no time to say no as the other man took hold of his arm and led him to the first piece.

Steve sighed contently as they made their way to the gallery’s exit. “This was nice.” Tony nodded. “I kind of missed this.”  
It wasn’t far from the truth. Company was always better than being alone. “I bet I missed it more.” Tony looked up at Steve’s smile again. It looked like he meant it.  
He felt his chest tighten and his lungs constrict. This was not planned either. “I should go.” He pushed past him in a hurry. “Tony, wait!”  
There was a hand on his forearm, the grip tight. This was definitely not something he wanted. “Tony.” He couldn’t breathe at the pained sound that was his ex’s voice. “Let. Go.”  
After jerking his arm away from the other man he briskly walked away from what he had originally hoped would be a nice experience. In his head was a constant dream of should have’s he was struggling to ignore. I should have let Pepper stay. I should have said no to the tour. I should have left as soon as I saw him.  
It was too late though. All he could do now was breathe and acknowledge that leaving at all, once he felt uncomfortable, was a win in and of itself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry for the length!


	7. Black & White

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Realizations rarely come the moment they should.

This is the longest he’s made it without making headlines. With the Stark name, the streak was bound to break eventually. On his desk there lays a magazine, it’s cover screaming “Playboy Play Date: Stark Industries’ CEO Back to Breaking Hearts” in large bold letters that frame a grainy shot of Tony in the middle of pulling his harm out of a distraught looking Steve’s grasp.

Through the ringing in his ears he hears Pepper and Jarvis doing their absolute best to speak in hushed tones. It doesn’t matter to him whether they’re yelling or now using sign language. He just wants the tightness in his chest to go away.

“I am going to murder him if James doesn’t beat me to it.” She’s been pacing long enough for him to easily follows her movements with his eyes. “Would it affect their relationship that much? All I’m doing is pulling away.” She stops. There are so many emotions in her eyes. He can see them so clearly now.

“The public remembers Steve. They remember you with Steve. James…he’s secure in his own right. I’m more worried about how Steve is going to handle this.” How could he have ever mistaken those feelings as anger towards him, as frustration towards him. “You think this is what he wanted.” He has to choke out the words.

He’s suddenly realized that the feelings of judgement he had so long ago from his friends had never been aimed towards him. Now he has to consider that his ex-boyfriend could potentially be using him for press despite having been in a serious relationship since they broke up. Pepper sighs and sits on the arm of his chair, leaning into him.

“You haven’t been in the public eye for almost a full year. For the most part the paparazzi have left you alone. Why would that trend stop the moment you start running into him again?” His body relaxes into her warmth, his mind continuing to run in circles. “This isn’t a conspiracy, Pep.”

It’s Jarvis who speaks up next. “No, but Miss Rogers has a point. I think it’s time you came clean.” He blinks up at the other man a bit taken aback. “Am I ready for that?” The other two share a glance over his head of understanding. “With something like this I doubt you’ll ever be.”

He laughs when the statement sinks in. “Well then fuck yeah, let’s do it.” Jarvis nods before tossing him his phone with Banner’s number already dialed.


	8. Damage Control

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Truth brings relief.

He’s always been fond of the way Pepper would take the lead on press related things. The relationship she had established with Natasha before the group went their separate ways certainly helped. “I’m going to need you to lead the crowd.”

The red head crossed her arms and looks at her in a way that tells you she’s considering it. “You want me to be your plant?” It almost doesn’t sound like a question, the way it comes out her mouth so matter of fact.

“No. I’m not giving you questions to ask, I’m giving you an exclusive. Tony Stark is not who he used to be and if you help everyone else stay on that track, you’ll be the first to interview one-on-one.” Pepper doesn’t plead but she knows how to sell it.

It appeases their guest enough to get her comfortable. “I want access.” It’s his turn to sweeten the pot. “Invitations, including plus ones, to all future Stark Industries events. No press badge needed.” She glances over in his directions, having forgotten he was there, and grins. “You’ve got yourself a deal.”

They’ve had a full day to prep, he’s had a full day to let the gravity of the situation settle into his bones. If his anxiety at the sheer volume of reporters that found their way to see him were radioactive, his chest would be glowing through his suit. It’s something that needs to be done though.

He clears his throat and hopes that the part of him that’s used to this circus is just hibernating, not completely gone like the less favorable parts of his personality. “I have been told from a young age to ignore what tabloids publish about the Stark name. I brought you here today –“ He coughs. ”My assistant brought you here today…” There’s laughter from his audience and he relaxes. “Because I cannot brush off the most recent headline.”

The crowd stirs as a projection of “Playboy Play Date” fills the screen behind him. “I can imagine you lot have questions for me.” It’s Jarvis who rakes his eyes over the audience in order to let each outlet representative have their turn. “Mr. Stark, the public has been noticeably kept in the dark about your life this past year. What’s brought on this most recent change?”

There’s a double sided nature to this question – they want him to mention the man in the photograph. They want to know about Steve. They already know about Steve. “Speculations have been made about my absence from the public eye. I am here to set the story straight.”

He finds Nat’s eyes glittering with mischief as she stands. “I hate to burst The Bugle’s bubble, but Steve Rogers has been irrelevant since we first noticed Stark had gone MIA without him.” The first reporter flushes as others around her nod in agreement. Nat continues, “Mr. Stark, we know that you have been removed from both the public and your business for a little under half a year. The first headline since your return alludes that you are the same person you have always been.”

She sees him tense and smirks in response. He’s visibly uncomfortable despite knowing she’s in on this and she’s milking his reaction to sell it to her audience. “The image of you and your last known significant lover paints a different image for a vast majority of us. If we disregard the text that accompanies it.” Everyone is enraptured by her. He should really hire her for SI as soon as this is all said and done.

“Ms. Romanov has a point.” All attention is on an intern that runs the company's social media. Tony surprises himself with that knowledge. “You were Tony Stark: genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist. It’s been six months. With or without a serious partner by your side, who are you now?” It’s the boy who finally asks the million dollar question.

He feels his mind shutting down but is brought back by both Jarvis and Pepper stepping closer to him on the stage. No matter what comes out of his mouth, they will continue to stand by him. It’s the boost he needs. “I am Anthony Stark: genius, billionaire, former playboy, philanthropist…” The words get stuck.

There’s more to this. There has to be more to this. Pepper takes his hand and smiles to reassure him. The tightness in his throat diminishes, “and for the earlier part of this year I was in a rehabilitation center that focuses on mental health.”

He focuses on the firmness of her hand in order to finish the speech he had spent the night working on. “I have learned a lot in my time away and I hope that I continue to learn as time goes on. I make no promises to future public appearances or to making a habit of making my relationships as public as they used to be. My focus now, is to make this company the best possible version of itself while maintaining my sanity.”

It’s a promise to his closest friends, to himself, to the people still trying to process what he’s admitted to. “Thank you. That is all.” He could say more but it’s dawned on him that there is so much more he could do. He laughs as the cameras begin to catch up to the moment.


	9. Brick Wall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With coffee comes clarity and a bit of closure.

He blinks at his phone. His sight is a bit blurred at the edges with sleep from his decompression nap.

_4:35PM Hey._

_4:59PM It’s possible you have a different number now but…_

_5:20PM Coffee???_

_6:00PM Same place as last time._

Getting up makes his head swim further. The last time Steve had texted him…he doesn’t even remember and now…

He might as well get this over with too.

Steve looks like he’s vibrating in his seat, a ball of energy, his smile still blinding.

“You came.” There’s no surprise in his voice – Tony’s only partially sure that plays into his suddenly decreased level of comfort.

“You invited me.” Smooth. Make him think all he has to do is ask…just like before.

Steve manages a shy laugh. “Yeah. I saw the press conference. Wanted to talk to you about future tabloid covers. Don’t want to give Bucky the wrong impression, you know?.”

“Steve, I have no control over what your boyfriend thinks.”

“The press follows you.” It comes out patronizing – how had he never noticed the righteous air that Steve gave off…

He fights the urge to gawk. “You’ve always known that.” He shakes his head to stave off his growing frustration at the mess his feelings are making his thought process. “And, again, you invited me. So, please, explain how exposing yourself to my public persona is preventing misunderstandings in your relationship.”

He should be making eye contact. Really. It would be too difficult to maintain. Too easy to decide it’s not worth continuing. “You misunderstood –“ It was the strained laugh that does him in.

“No. I don’t think I did.”

There is a silence that follows, almost awkward if it weren’t for the apathetic teenager coming to ask for their orders. Steve sighs and rubs the back of his neck – a sign he’s nervous. That makes both of them.

“I hoped that you would listen. Bucky, wasn’t excited to see the last cover and I am inclined to do something about it. That doesn’t mean I don’t want you in my life again, Tony.”

He should be shocked. Maybe angry. _What am I feeling? Deep breath. Regret? No. Anxious. Deep breath. Why? ­_He looks up finally making the eye contact he was avoiding since the start of the meeting. _Of course._ It’s there in Steve’s eyes, in the way his jaw is subtly clenched and in the way he’s radiating tensions Tony can’t believe he was able to ignore for years.

His fists clench under the table. His nails biting into the skin on his palms just enough to ground him. “Despite what you may believe considering our past together, I didn’t say yes to your invitation because you extended it. I came to tell you that there’s no point in even attempting a friendship with me.”

Steve doesn’t hesitate. “Tony, you don’t mean that.”

He offers a smile in return. “I mean it more than you needing a break.” There isn’t even a hint of sass, it’s all fact.

“Glad to see you’re forever holding that against me.” Things aren’t going according to whatever plan was supposed to play out today. Here in this café there can finally be closure.

“Steve, if what I felt towards you ever mattered, you did a shit job showing it.”


	10. Peace Once More

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finally.

It took another few days for the media circus to die down. Tony hadn’t heard from Steve again. Nothing but the look of pride Pepper threw his way every time they ran into each other. It was freeing having that weight lifted off of his shoulders. There was just one more thing that needed to be done before the year ended. What better place than his own sobriety party where everyone he needed was present. “Dr. Banner, I’d like to speak with you.”

“We are out of the office, Tony, Bruce is fine.” It came with a small smile. Probably the only reactions the psychiatrist was willing to show. “Alright, Bruce –“ Jarvis caught his hesitation.

“Stark Industries has decided to offer scholarships to individuals interested in pursuing a degree in Psychology.” Tony nodded, still stuck on saying his doctor’s first name as well as suddenly getting hit with the importance of what was about to be done. The other man continued.

“We would like to offer you a position on the Award’s Committee.” Bruce blinked in a way that somehow told you he was touched. Once again, the only sign of any emotion was that small smile. “I would be honored.”

There is a new feeling that washes over Tony in that moment as he watches his inner most circle celebrate their new endeavor. It’s cool like being submerged in pool water during a heat wave. He knows what it is because the voices in his head stay silent and let him enjoy the moment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These last two chapters ended up being a lot shorter than I imagined especially given the time it took to post them. I appreciate you all for reading and apologize only for being unable to translate what my mind created properly into text.


End file.
